VATICAN CITY - A new Italian film that attempts to defend wartime Pope Pius XII against accusations he turned a blind eye to the Holocaust has been panned by the Vatican as well as Catholic and Jewish media.

MILAN - Italian luxury group Salvatore Ferragamo expects its sales to grow this year after the Chinese New Year contributed to an "excellent" performance in February, Chief Executive Michele Norsa said on Sunday.

ROME - Italy will begin annual naval exercises this week near the coast of Libya, where a breakdown in order has allowed tens of thousands of migrants to try to reach Europe by boat and increased fears of attacks by Islamist militants.

ROME - Italy's Economy Minister ruled out talking to Mediaset about any renewed bid for Rai Way, the transmission towers unit of state broadcaster Rai [RAI.UL], reiterating that the government intended to keep its majority stake.

ROME - Thousands of supporters of Italy's anti-euro Northern League filled one of the biggest squares in Rome on Saturday, accusing the government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of selling the country out to faceless powers in Brussels.

ROME - Italian lawmakers on Friday backed a non-binding resolution that encourages the government to recognize Palestine as a state, a move that underlines European frustration over stalled Middle East peace negotiations.

MILAN - Italian medical device maker Sorin and its smaller U.S. peer Cyberonics Inc announced a merger on Thursday to create a global leader in cardiac surgery and neuromodulation with an equity value of $2.7 billion.

WASHINGTON - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday against accepting a nuclear deal with Iran that would be a "countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare" by a country that "will always be an enemy of America". | Video